Long time ago now, October 1989, my friend Timms and I did a self organised exped up to Tharpu Chuli. We engaged a porter to help us to ABC and then went up onto the upper moraine ourselves. We tried to Alpine style from our tent up the SW face, but it took us too long, not getting onto the top ridgeline until midday in whiteout and avalanches crashing around us. We retreated down to the glacier for the night to bivvy, not enough snow for a snow cave, so just a shell scrape to keep the wind off. Next day we had a better shot at the summit in fine weather; with just 2 of us, we did a fair bit free as the protection was rather limited. Getting to the top - the first major peak I'd done left me with such a feeling of euphoria - it was wonderful. after a short time on the top, we descended rapidly down the NW ridge and wound our way down onto the glacier to pick up our bivvy gear. My mate started to feel a bit crook, possibly with odemea, so left his pack with me and headed down to the tent where we know that were fairly well acclimatised. I got back down the moraine in the dark with the 2 packs, still on an absolute high. A trip to remember, definitely recommended.